http://www.adaptiveadventures.org/rmo04/rozelle.htmlLess than two months after Rozelle and his troops crossed into Iraq last spring, an anti-tank mine blew off his right foot. In a flash, the inspirational slogan had literal meaning. "I definitely was baptized in blood and steel," he says, referring to his blood and his wrecked Humvee. A bit of shrapnel remains in his leg.
But his limb, which ends 2 inches above the ankle, is now sheathed in an artificial leg and foot. The foot fits into a standard-issue combat boot. Rozelle, 31, is still in the Army — and he intends to return to Iraq.
In today's military, amputation doesn't automatically mean "medical retirement," a discharge because of a disability. High-tech advances in artificial limbs and improved methods of rehabilitation now allow a significant number of amputees to stay in uniform. Some, like Rozelle, may even return to combat. At least 4,400 military men and women have been wounded in action since the United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq last year. More than 120 of them have lost a limb. Some have lost two or three.
"We anticipate that up to 40% of all of those injured will be able to return to active duty," says Chuck Scoville, administrator of Ward 57, the amputee wing at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. It is the military's hub for amputation surgery and rehabilitation. "A lot of the guys want to stay. They're just amazing."So, apparently this is their last gasp before reinstating the DRAFT: sending amputees back into combat until they've lost
all of their limbs for Halliburton. :grr:
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